


The Truth Lies In Between The First and Fortieth Drink

by Alithea



Category: Birds of Prey (Comic), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alcohol, Drinking Games, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-10-24 22:54:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20713886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alithea/pseuds/Alithea
Summary: Helena is looking for an escape. Zinda promises a quiet night that gets a bit waylaid. It's not the drinks that bring them together though, but a truth long unspoken. F/F, Helena/Zinda.





	The Truth Lies In Between The First and Fortieth Drink

It had been a long day for Helena. She was tired of having to defend herself, and she felt as if it was all she had been doing for weeks to the people at the school she worked for, to Oracle and Canary, and too many others in her wake. Zinda had offered to take her out and had done a fairly good job at providing fun, because that was something Zinda knew how to do. She smiled and hit people with that sexy southern drawl and suddenly there were jokes, drinks, and laughter. Unfortunately, that meant a quiet night could become a raucous brawl or in that evening's case a drinking contest. 

Zinda Blake, also known as Lady Blackhawk, had a certain reputation in most of the bars around Gotham (and also Metropolis). Off duty servicemen in particular couldn't seem to help the idea of trying to challenge her, and Zinda never backed down from a challenge, especially if he had a lot of muscles. 

Her current challenger had already had several drinks and his friends tried, though not too hard, to get him to back down. But he had blurted out the challenge, the shots had been poured, and he had taken his tenth shot in earnest before swaying slightly and then falling onto the floor. 

"Sugar, I just don't think you understood what you were in for when you made that bet," Zinda Blake said as she looked down at the young man. His foot twitched slightly. She winked at his friends, and gave them a salute with two fingers. "You fellas get him home safe, put him on his side to sleep it off and all that." 

The group of young men nodded and picked their friend off the floor. 

Zinda sat back down and finished her last shot with a smile, and chuckled to herself. 

"Are you certain you don't have some sort of metahuman constitution," Helena asked.

"Pretty sure I'm just a regular ol' human. Just from a different time. Hell, half the stuff we drank back in the 40s with the Blackhawks was moonshine, and mosta that was practically jet fuel," Zinda replied and flagged down a waitress with a smile and wink. "Darlin', I'm ready to close out my tab."

The waitress was quick to bring by the bill which was smaller than the pilot expected. Zinda grinned and made sure to leave a very generous tip. She looked over at her friend and shrugged. Helena had wanted a quiet evening out, but she knew once the men approached there was no way Zinda would decline. No way the blonde could decline, and she couldn't blame her. There were plenty of things that Helena couldn't back down from either. 

Helena sighed and grabbed her things. The two walked out of the bar and past a familar looking stip club.

"I wonder if the cowboy is in," Zinda asked playfully, and did a little twirl so the short pleated skirt she was wearing revealed more of her long legs. 

"I mean if you really want-" 

"No, honey, I'm just foolin'. I know you wanted a different kinda' night, and I aim to help you get some of it." She sighed and said, "I have a bottle of grappa at my place. The good stuff too, not that gasoline Jordan tried to pass off on us either."

Helena rolled her eyes, "I really, really don't like talking about that."

"I never really understood why, Hel. He had about three shots we kissed him goodnight on the cheeks and he _thought_ he had a good time. Coulda set a lot of rumors to right if you'd'a let me," Zinda retorted, and laced her arm with Helena's as they continued to walk. She gave a reassuring squeeze, but Helena grimaced and tensed slightly. 

"I know it's just…" She trailed off because she didn't quite have the words for how she felt. Punching something, that's what that entire situation made her feel. It was honestly her primary reaction to a lot of feelings. Punching things made her feel better, but it was not always the solution she was looking for. She shook her head and then said, "Maybe not grappa."

Zinda smiled wide and said, "I've got something good. Fix that frown right up."

********

Zinda's apartment was small, but not as spartan as Helena remembered from the last time she had been over. The walls had framed pictures of aircraft from the 1940s, and antique signs for things like gasoline and sodapop brands Helena was unfamiliar with. There was some definite personality in the place, with some surprising modern accents that informed that Zinda was not as locked in the past as some would assume. 

Helena took a seat on the brown leather couch and relaxed into the cushions while Zinda clattered in her small kitchen getting out a couple of glasses. The blonde moved over to the other end of the couch and deposited two empty glasses, an open bottle of good Italian wine, and a bag of tortilla chips. 

"No salsa," Helena said with a laugh. 

"Fresh out. What do you think of the wine?"

"I think you have hidden depths you carefully hide from the rest of us so as not to ruin your beer and pretzel reputation." She poured a glass of wine for Zinda and then herself. 

"Nothin' wrong with beer and pretzels, but they don't suit every occasion. To hidden depths," Zinda said and they clinked their glasses together. 

Helena wasn't even joking though. She took a sip of the wine and it was really good. It was almost too reminiscent of the sort of thing her family would have had at dinner. She tried not to go down the rabbit hole of sad memories and looked over at the woman next to her. Blinking back the shock of seeing Zinda's carefree mask slip as her face washed with concern.

"Where'd you go there, Helena?"

"Some place I shouldn't have." She took another sip and reached for the bag of chips. Carbs were what she needed, and salt. "Thank you for taking me out tonight."

"Well, I'm always here if you need me." 

"I know, it's why you're great for the team."

Zinda huffed out a slightly mirthless chuckle. "Yeah, I guess you're right. That's not what I said though, darlin'."

Helena considered and then arched an eyebrow. "Oh... You... You really mean it?"

Zinda shook her head. "Anytime." She gulped down half her glass. "Want some music?"

"Sure."

Zinda stood up and went over to a small stereo and hit play on the CD player. The music that played was uptempo and jazzy.

"Do you have a trick," Helena asked and finished her glass of wine. "For the drinking contests, I mean."

"Not really, though it helps if they are already a few drinks in, and they think you've had a few too many as well." She sat back down and refilled the glasses.

"But... You did have a few drinks already."

"I can't give away all my secrets now, but I assure you I don't do that thing Batman does with the slighta' hand. Or use magic like Zatanna. That's down right cheatin'."

Helena smiled. "Could you do it twice in one night?"

"Tryin' to get me drunk, Huntress?" 

"Just...curious."

********

They had finished off the bottle of wine and most of the chips over idle and light conversation. Zinda had put in a new CD and sat back down on the couch with a giggle at some joke Helena had made about her taste in music. There was an odd twinkle in her eyes as she looked the other woman over. She crossed her legs and bit her bottom lip before looking at the empty bottle. 

"You have another bottle."

Zinda shook her head. "I've got maybe two beers, and the grappa, but I know that seems to wrankle you."

"Only the current association." She felt her stomach flip slightly. Maybe she had had enough to drink for the evening. She had wanted something that night. Something she didn't get and it wrecked her a bit that it bothered her so much. 

"Oh, sugar, c'mon you've snarked your way outa worse gossip that was actually true."

Helena shook her head. "Maybe I was more concerned about how that sort of rumor would affect you."

Zinda rolled her eyes. "A dirty rumor never did me no harm. But...I appreciate you lookin' out for my honor." She licked her lips, and then asked, "What were you lookin' for that night anyway?"

She winced, but said, "A chance."

"With Jordan?" She almost laughed herself out of her seat as she said it.

Helena took a deep breath and said, "No, with you."

Zinda chuckled. 

"Why is that funny?"

"Hel, what did I tell you earlier. I'm here...if you need me. All ya gotta do is ask." She grinned and then slid playfully close to the other woman, and placed her hand on the brunette's thigh. "I'll tell you a secret, though."

"What's that?"

"I was all in that night for the same reason. Jordan's pretty hunky, but not exactly the sorta prize I go for," she waggled her eyebrows, slid her hand a little further up Helena's leg, and then said, "So, what are we gonna do about it?"

Helena blinked and took a deep breath. She leaned over and met Zinda's lips. The kiss was long and deep, sweet and hungry. Zinda pulled away and then straddled the other woman, bending down to kiss her again. 

Helena returned the kiss, one hand moving up under the pilot's short skirt and the other sliding up under her blouse to cup one of Zinda's breasts, run a thumb across the woman's nipple, taking the blonde's breath into her mouth as she gasped slightly from the contact. In turn Zinda tugged lightly at Helena's hair, chuckling at the sound the brunette made before starting to unbutton her blouse. 

"We should go to bed," Helena gasped as she pulled away momentarily from Zinda's lips. Zinda nodded and kissed her again biting at Helena's lower lip. Helena practically growled in her throat, wrapped her arms around the blonde to support her as she stood up off the couch with the pilot wrapped around her.

"Oh," Zinda said surprised at the other woman's strength. She giggled as they moved back towards her bedroom. "Yee haw," she muttered. 

****** 

Helena woke on her side with Zinda in her arms. She breathed the blonde in and kissed the back of her neck as Zinda hummed in content. Helena shut her eyes and took a deep breath, as Zinda shifted to face her. 

"Well, that was fun," Zinda said caressing Helena's cheek. 

"It really was. Want to have dinner with me sometime?"

"This when we try to date like normal people?" 

"Only if you're up for it, but I'd… I'd like to keep seeing you, Zinda."

Zinda grinned and kissed her, rolling her onto her back, and grazing her teeth and tongue over a mark she had left earlier. "There's a little place I know we could go to." She kissed her again. "Want me to go get that grappa? I was thinkin'...it's been a while since I've done body shots."

Helena chuckled. "Only if you tell me the trick to staying sober during a drinking contest."

The blonde smiled and whispered into Helena's ear. 

Helena laughed and rolled Zinda onto her back. "Why, Lady Blackhawk, I do believe that's cheating."

End.

**Author's Note:**

> There is a bit of canon that was awful in which Hal Jordan supposedly has a threesome with Huntress and Lady Blackhawk. It was an awful bit of writing but I never felt like it was ever addressed in canon properly. It was just ignored. So, I wanted to address it in a way that made sense to me, and in a way that put two of my favorite Birds of Prey together.


End file.
